Guide · NRI buyers
Buying property in Mumbai as an NRI: a practical guide
Almost everything that goes wrong in an NRI purchase is predictable — and therefore preventable by deciding the transaction route before choosing the property.
- For
- Non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Updated
- 15 August 2026
- Steps
- 8
The short answer
An NRI buying property in Mumbai should confirm eligibility with a chartered accountant, verify the project and developer independently, decide the payment and holding structure through NRE/NRO accounts before paying, arrange a home loan if needed, execute a correctly attested power of attorney if they cannot attend, complete registration, and plan for TDS and repatriation at sale. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Step by step
The sequence.
- Step 01
Confirm eligibility
Confirm with your CA what property you may acquire under current FEMA rules for your status.
- Step 02
Define the purpose
Decide whether this is for eventual residence, rental income or investment — it changes the right location and product.
- Step 03
Verify remotely
Verify RERA registration, approvals, construction progress and the micro-market through someone acting for you.
- Step 04
Decide the payment route
Agree with your CA which accounts you will pay from, based on how you intend to hold and repatriate.
- Step 05
Arrange financing
Obtain an NRI home loan sanction before committing, if you need one.
- Step 06
Execute a power of attorney
Draft a transaction-specific PoA and complete attestation in the correct sequence if you will not attend.
- Step 07
Register and take possession
Pay stamp duty, register the agreement, and arrange a possession inspection.
- Step 08
Plan the exit
Understand TDS on sale and repatriation limits at purchase, not at sale.
Documents usually required
Exact requirements vary by developer, lender and registration office.
- Passport and visa or OCI card
- PAN card
- Overseas address proof
- Photographs
- Bank statements for NRE/NRO accounts used
- Power of attorney, if a representative will act
This guide is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Regulations, rates and procedures change; confirm the current position with the relevant authority and a qualified adviser before acting.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Can OCI cardholders buy property in India?
OCI cardholders have generally been permitted to acquire residential and commercial property on terms similar to NRIs, with agricultural land and certain other categories excluded. Rules can change, so confirm with your CA for your specific status.
Can an NRI repatriate sale proceeds?
Repatriation is permitted subject to limits and conditions that depend on how the property was paid for and your circumstances. Plan this at purchase with your CA, since the funding route affects repatriation later.
Related guides
- RERA guide for homebuyersRERA gives buyers access to information that used to be unavailable. Most buyers do not use it. Ten minutes on the authority's website before booking can prevent years of dispute.
- Stamp duty and registration in MumbaiStamp duty is typically the largest cost of buying a property after the price itself. It is calculated on a defined basis, it is payable before registration, and its rate depends on where the property is and on applicable concessions.
- The developer playbookMost development problems are sequencing problems. Decisions that should be made early are made late, and decisions that should wait for evidence are made on hope. This playbook sets out the order.
The first decision
Let's start before the building.
Send us the site, the scheme or the stalled inventory. We will tell you what we think — including when the answer is not to proceed.